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About the Book

Though many traverse the entire United States in hours or days by plane, train or car, what is it like to go coast-to-coast at human-powered speed, totally exposed and connected to the land and people? To Get to the Other Side describes that experience, chronicling a 3-month, 4,700-mile self-supported bicycle tour following the TransAmerica Trail, an Oregon-to-Virginia route conceived to celebrate America's Bicentennial. Although author Tom Yuska traveled a well-charted course, the factor of time, the vagaries of weather and people and the undulations of topography formed a situational gene pool that constantly recombined to create stimulating and memorable experiences. His daily account of the tour weaves a linear, cohesive perspective on travel with glimpses into the histories of the mostly small-print towns along the Trail.

Some feel that travel is exhausting, taking more from you than you get in return. In To Get to the Other Side, the author presents a contrary experience—an advantageous barter of mind and body effort in return for an unpackaged, unmediated immersion into America.

Extensive full-color photos and key elevation charts deepen the sense of this journey.